By Christian Desoloc and Alyssa Divina
WITH technology becoming a bigger part of peoples’ lives, it is no surprise it is also becoming an integral part of education. In that light, Miriam College seeks to be in the forefront of integrating technology with education.
This was highlighted when the institution offered a master in education degree majoring in e-learning. The degree focuses on teachers becoming equipped in teaching with the use of various technologies.
The degree is augmented by offering certification programs, such as SITE (Summer Institute on Technology Education), iTEACH (Technology Education to Advance Change) and EXCEL (Executive Course on E-Learning
for Leaders).
Miriam High School Principal and the College Director for Innovation Development Dr. Edizon Fermin said these various certification programs earn the participants graduate credits, which are then recognized for the completion of the degree.
SITE, in partnership with Diwa Learning Systems Inc., was first offered on 2013 and gave certification courses on various topics. These courses are Teaching and Learning with Digital and Mobile Technology, which is designed to increase awareness of teachers in utilizing technology and integrating it with available resources; Developing and Adapting Digital and Mobile Application (apps development); E-learning Design and Supervision; and Cyber Ethics and Digital Law, in which, Fermin said, the cybercrime law played a major role in its conceptualization and is actually handled by lawyers.
iTEACH was first offered in May this year in partnership with CME Publication. Its focus is on facilitating technology integration in education.
EXCEL, set to be offered this September, will target school leaders and will help them prepare for e-learning. This was idealized since it would be hard for teachers to implement their e-learning plans if the school officials do not grasp its concept, Fermin said.
SITE and iTEACH run for five consecutive days, while EXCEL will run for three days. Fermin added that this was to reduce the attrition of participants.
He said they may expand SITE in its future iterations.
He added that the program runs around 40 to 60 hours and is enough for students to earn a graduate unit. He said the program is facilitated boarding-school style and hosted by their partners for the duration of the program.
Fermin said the above programs started as an idea. “Why don’t we train other people who like to transition to e-learning by providing them an opportunity?”
For the programs, part of their goal was that the participants get to maximize the available technology and use it to advance learning.
“Even with the situation in the Philippines, we can be leaders in e-learning because we are already good with the pedagogy,” he said, adding that, with e-learning, he envisions education to be more transparent and more accessible.
He said the goal is the make sure the technologies augment how he interacts with society and how things are done.
These programs are part of the bigger technological and 21st-century push by Miriam College under the leadership of Fermin.
“If we want Miriam College to be a bastion of 21st- century learning, it must be driven by learners, supported by teachers, empowered by the college and sustained by the innovators.”
Fermin said it was their aim of greater institutional thrust toward incorporating or enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics in their curriculum that lead the mentioned developments.
The thrust first took form with the development of their e-learning system in partnership with Diwa Learning Systems Inc.
“At Miriam College, the reason for incorporating the tablet was not to lessen the weight of the backpack. We want it to enrich learning through real-time inputs and processes. That was the main affordance of an e-learning environment.” Fermin said regarding the implementation of their e-learning system.
After their experience in developing the e-learning system and training people on how it was done, he added, they felt that they are ready to share their best practices with the world.
Aside from the programs, they also aim to have a dedicated facility for research and development. This gave birth to their Innovation Center, which will be used in developing ideas in the field of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
The building will have a performing arts laboratory and theater, science laboratories, and facilities for the multimedia and culinary arts. “It is where our students translate whatever innovative ideas they have in mind.”
Construction of the facility started last year, in part due to Betty Sy, a Miriam College alumna and the daughter of SM Malls owner Henry Sy. SM Foundation donated for the construction of the building.
Fermin said since its groundbreaking in August of last year, most of the construction is finished, except for the fixtures and other things pending installation.
For their efforts in integrating education and technology, Miriam College bagged awards during the fourth Excellence in Educational Transformation Awards held on June 21. This was organized by Bayan Academy, a sociocivic organization after the aforementioned plans and programs.
For now, these are the concrete moves by Miriam College in their push for the 21st-century education. As for the future, Fermin has one word for what’s to expect: Exciting.